If you don’t know how to play craps, don’t worry. It’s actually a very simple game. It just looks complicated since the game is littered with a bunch of complicated, sucker bets that you should NOT make. If you just make the standard bet, you’ll learn it very quickly and be gambling wisely as well.

Furthermore, unlike blackjack/poker, there is no constant decision making in craps. The game is pure luck. All you need to know is what bet to make, and make it all the time.

The basic bet to make is called the ‘pass line’ bet. You will make this bet and then put some money behind it (known as the odds bet). I recommend making the minimum bet on the pass line and then as much as you want to bet behind it.

Literally, that’s all you have to do. The casino dealers will take care of the rest. But before you place these bets, you probably want to know if you win or not? It’s only natural!

First, the easiest way to learn craps is to play. While I can explain it in a written article and put some youtube videos to help learn how to play, people just ‘get it’ more when they play it. So go up to the table, tell the dealer you’re new and just want to play the pass line/odds and they’ll be more than willing to help you. Throw the dealer a $5 tip as a sign of appreciation and believe me, you’ll be covered.

Craps is played in two distinct phases.

Phase 1: The come out roll. In this roll, the person with the dice (the shooter) throws the dice. If it is a 7/11 you win. If it is a 2,3, or 12, you lose. That’s it! So in this case, a 7 would be good. If a 7/11 or 2/3/12 is thrown, the player win/loses and you start again in phase 1.

Phase 2: If a 7/11 or 2/3/12 is NOT thrown, you move into phase 2. For example, if a 5 is thrown, you move into phase 2. Whatever number was thrown (for example 5), you now want to throw that number again (the number is called the ‘point’.) If you throw that number (in this case 5) you win and if you throw a 7, you lose. So now a 7 is BAD. In phase 2, all of the other numbers do not matter. So, in this case, throwing a 5 wins, throwing a 7 loses, throwing anything else and you just keep throwing until a 5 or 7 comes.

Repeat Phases 1: Shooter throws a 6. The point is now a 6. The shooter will want to throw a 6 and not a 7.

Phase 2: Shooter throws an 8. Nothing happens.

Repeat Phase 2: Shooter throws an 11. Nothing happens.

Repeat Phase 2: Shooter throws a 2. Nothing happens.

Repeat Phase 2: Shooter throws a 5. Nothing happens.

Repeat Phase 2: Shooter throws an 8. You win.

Now that Phase 2 is complete, you go back to phase 1.

Phase 1: Shooter throws a 10. The point is now a 10. Move to Phase 2.

Phase 2: Shooter throws an 8. Nothing happens.

Repeat Phase 2: Shooter throws a 7. You lose.

The final thing to understand are the payouts. The payout on the pass line is 1:1. So if you bet $10, you win or lose $10, no matter if you win it in phase 1 or if it goes to phase 2.

However, the ‘odds’ are a different animal. An odds bet is placed behind the pass line bet and is only placed during Phase 2. The odds bet pays differently depending on the difficulty of the point:

6/8: $12 for every $10 wagered. So if you bet $20 on the odds,, you win $24.

5/9: $15 for every $10 wagered. So if you bet $20 on the odds, you win $30.

4/10: $20 for every $10 wagered. So if you bet $20 on the odds, you win $40.

So one last time, here is an example of how craps would be played:

Phase 1: You make a $10 bet. A 7 is thrown. You win $10

Repeat Phase 1: You make a $10 bet. A 3 is thrown. You lose $10.

Repeat Phase 1: You make a $10 bet. A 9 is thrown. We move onto phase two.

This is where you’d want to make an odds bet. Let’s say you make a $50 odds bet.

Phase 2: A 4 is thrown. Nothing happens.

Repeat Phase 2: A 9 is thrown. You win. You win $10 on the pass line bet and $75 on the odds bet, a total win of $85 for that roll.